BSEE-NOV21-PG25.qxp_Layout 1 25/10/2021 11:36 Page 25
BUILDING CONTROLS & TECHNOLOGY
Product evolution continues to shape manufacturing giant
Two years after a tour of the Gripple empire, BSEE has reconnected with the Yorkshire manufacturer to find out how the business has changed over recent times.
staff and 500 more employees worldwide at sites in Europe, Asia and America and is the world’s leading brand of wire rope hangers in mechanical, electrical and piping services sector. It also continues to service the agricultural industry with fencing and equipment accessories as well as applications in landscaping, solar and civil construction. It’s four Sheffield sites have grown to five with the recent opening of a £2m facility in the Norfolk Bridge area of the city dedicated to production of its biggest selling product, Fast Trak, a trapeze bracket for the installation of building services.
G
Mark Kimberley senior product manager
What started with one bench at the Hawke Street site now has an 18,000ft2 site dedicated to the production of Fast Trak seven days a week. The new site has the potential to create 20,000 brackets each week which is expected to double turnover from the product in the next 12 months.
As with all Gripple products, they are subject to constant evolution and improvement, usually based on feedback from customers about what would make their jobs even easier.
ripple
manufactures wire joining and tensioning
systems and has around 300 UK
BSEE
Gripple, Norfolk Bridge site
Therefore, there have been several costing exercises for Fast Trak which have resulted in the third generation of the landmark solution. Not only with the product but with the recyclability of the packaging which has seen the company remove the metal handles, develop the packing process, and eliminating the banding.
Following the initial introduction of Fast Trak to the Gripple portfolio, it recognised a need to expand capacity as the machinery it ran off was also used to produce other products such as its low profile and pipe brackets and G brackets, leading to challenges with capacity. In order to keep up with growing demand with £1million of sales in its first year alone, Gripple invested in additional equipment. This supported the increased production of not just Fast Trak, but other Gripple
ranges that were distributed to the UK, Europe and the rest of the world. Fast Trak presented a faster, smarter, greener alternative to traditional threaded rod methods of suspension and made a well-timed entry into the market, which has seen even greater relevance in the post-pandemic construction industry. Its success lies in the pre-
fabricated, trapeze bracket design made for the installation of electrical containment, pipework, ductwork and other mechanical services in restricted places.
Utilising metal tracks and mounting brackets, it has tool free adjustment, creates zero waste and is lightweight for easier handling on-site and delivery. Each system has a 3:1 safety factor with a load capacity of up to 250kg.
A year after it first appeared on the market it was refreshed with new riveters to develop the twin loading and cantilever bracket technology. This extended the range from nine brackets to 12 and from two to five straps.
The following year an order was placed with Gripple Automation for a sub-assembled cartridge machine which now goes in the latest generation, Fast Trak III. As demand for Fast Trak grew Gripple started looking at programming improvements and working with its supply chain to improve components.
Mark Kimberley, product manager at Gripple, explains why the success of Fast Trak has shaped the company since its initial launch in 2017 and is set to retain its position as the company’s best-selling range: “Threaded rod has been the cornerstone of building service installation but customers at every stage of a construction project are becoming more discerning with environmental concerns high on their agenda. Also, contractors are always looking for ways to bring projects in on time and under budget without compromising on standards.
“The additional restrictions and guidelines introduced as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic have further fuelled customers looking for faster and safer ways of working. Fast Trak requires fewer people spending less time on site which helps sustain a safer place to work.”
Gripple continues to aim to deliver 25% of turnover each year from new products less than five years old and is continuing to develop products from its Fast Trak range and across the agriculture, building services, landscaping, civil construction and solar energy sectors.
www.gripple.com
Read the latest at:
www.bsee.co.uk
BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER NOVEMBER 2021 25
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